Trump’s ‘Riviera of the Middle East’ and the Arrogance of Abraha

This vision of erasure and control bears an uncanny resemblance to the story of Abraha, the Abyssinian ruler of Yemen, who sought to replace the Ka‘bah with a grand cathedral of his own making. Both Abraha and Trump used the rhetoric of progress and prosperity to mask their true intentions: domination, displacement, and destruction of the original people.

Abraha’s Grand Cathedral: A Vision of Control, Not Justice

Abraha, the Abyssinian governor of Yemen, was a powerful ruler with imperial backing. He built Al-Qullays, a magnificent cathedral, with the hope of making it the new religious and economic centre of Arabia. His aim was clear:

1. Divert the Arab pilgrimage away from the Ka‘bah in Makkah, which had served as the centre of religious and economic life.
2. Replace a sacred institution with his own—one that he could control and profit from.
3. Ensure the dominance of his empire over the region, erasing the influence of the Arabs who took pride in their custodianship of the Ka‘bah.

But despite its grandeur, Al-Qullays failed to attract pilgrims. The Arabs remained loyal to the Ka‘bah, recognising its deep historical and spiritual significance. Infuriated, Abraha decided to destroy the Ka‘bah itself, marching upon Makkah with an army that included war elephants—an intimidating force never seen before in Arabia.

Trump’s ‘Riviera of the Middle East’: The Erasure of Gaza

Trump’s plan to transform Gaza into a tourist-friendly “Riviera” follows the same logic as Abraha’s cathedral. He speaks of economic prosperity and international development, but the reality is much darker. Like Abraha, Trump does not seek to help the people—he seeks to erase them and replace them with something under his control.

The core goals of Trump’s vision are:

1. Erasing Palestinian identity: Just as Abraha sought to erase the Ka‘bah’s significance, Trump’s plan aims to remove Gaza’s Palestinian heritage, making it an “international place” rather than a land of indigenous resistance and history.
2. Displacing the original inhabitants: The talk of turning Gaza into a Riviera is meaningless when its people are being bombed, starved, and driven from their homes. The goal is not reconstruction—it is ethnic cleansing disguised as development.
3. Ensuring Israeli domination: If Gaza is transformed into an artificial tourist hub controlled by foreign powers, the resistance of its people will be eliminated. This will solidify Israel’s colonial expansion and permanently crush the idea of Palestinian self-determination.

Trump’s words about prosperity are a cruel deception—he envisions wealth only after the Indigenous people are removed. Just as Abraha’s cathedral was not built to honour faith, Trump’s Riviera is not built to uplift Gaza—it is designed to erase it.

The Divine Warning: The Fate of Abraha

Abraha marched toward Makkah with arrogance, believing that his military power would guarantee success. But as his army approached, Allah sent flocks of birds, each carrying small stones of hard clay, and they struck the invading forces with divine precision. The entire army was annihilated, as described in Surah Al-Fil:

أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَابِ الْفِيلِ ۝١
“Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the People of the Elephant?” (105:1)

أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِي تَضْلِيلٍ ۝٢
“Did He not make their plot go astray?” (105:2)

وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ ۝٣
“And He sent against them birds in flocks,” (105:3)

تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ ۝٤
“Striking them with stones of hard clay,” (105:4)

فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَّأْكُولٍ ۝٥
“And He made them like eaten straw.” (105:5)

The Ka‘bah remained untouched, and Abraha’s ambition was buried with his shattered army. His arrogance did not lead him to power—it led him to ruin.

History’s Verdict: Tyrants Always Fail

The fate of Abraha serves as a divine warning to all who attempt to erase a people, their faith, and their land. The parallels to Trump’s plan for Gaza are clear:

1. Like Abraha, Trump believes military and economic power can reshape history.
2. Like Abraha, Trump seeks to replace a people’s identity with his own artificial creation.
3. Like Abraha, Trump will ultimately fail.

No tyrant in history has successfully erased a people’s faith, history, or resistance. From the Pharaohs of Egypt to the Crusaders and colonial empires, all who thought they could impose their will upon sacred lands have been met with humiliation and defeat.

Gaza: A Land That Will Not Be Erased

Gaza is not just a piece of land. Like the Ka‘bah, it is a symbol of deep Islamic and historical significance. It is a place of resistance, faith, and sacrifice. The people of Gaza have endured decades of war, occupation, and siege—but they have not been erased.

Trump’s arrogance, like Abraha’s, will meet its historical and divine reckoning. Palestine is not for sale, and Gaza will not become a playground for colonisers and tourists.

A Final Warning to the Tyrants of Today

The arrogance of Abraha led to his downfall. Those who seek to erase Gaza and Palestine should reflect upon his fate. Oppression may seem powerful at the moment, but history has already written the end of tyrants.

وَاللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَىٰ أَمْرِهِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
“And Allah is dominant over His affair, but most of the people do not know.” (Yusuf 12:21)

History does not belong to the colonisers—it belongs to those who resist them in every way.